Lid for multiple boxes and method of applying the same



prl 27, 1943. WALTER HALE PAXTON, ALSO SWAN KNOWN As HALE PAXTN LID FOR MULTIPLE BOXES AND METHOD OF APPLYING THE SAME Filed April 29. 1940 l l A n .1

A. z z f Arm/wy Patented Apr. 27, 1943 LID FR MULTIPLE BOXES AND METHOD F APPLYNG THE SAME Walter Hale Paxton, also known as Hale Paxton, deceased, late of Riverside, Calif., by Geraldine Paxton and H. S. Nicks, executors, Riverside, Calif., assignors to Food Machinery Corporation, San Jose, Calif., a corporation of Delaware K Application April 29, 1940, Serial No. 332,320

5 Claims.

This invention relates to the packaging art and more particularly to the closing of multiple containers.

For the past generation, at least, the trend in merchandising has been toward doing away with the retailers handling goods in bulkr and the assumption by the processor of the function of packaging the goods in units suitable for meeting the needs of individual purchasers for home use. This tendency has not been so marked in the merchandising of perishables such as fresh fruits.

One of the reasons for this has been the lack of a suitable container in which fresh fruit can be packaged and transported economically and at the same time provide individual packages of a size small enough to pass unbroken through retail channels to the ultimate consumer. It is with the purpose of solving this problem that a multiple box was developed by Walter Hale Paxton, said box having a multiplicity of individual containers, all of which are integrally united as a multi-ple package.

It having been the custom for many decades in the fruit shipping industry to pack fruit in boxes so that the fruit extends above the upper end of the box and causes an arch in the cover When this is applied, it was found advisable, if not necessary, for each of the individual containers in a multiple box aforesaid to be provided with an arched cover to accommodate an over-filled pack in each individual container, and` that this be done in such a way that when the multiple box is disassembled at the retailers into its constituent units, each of the latter would retain an arched cover applied thereto in much the same manner as arched covers have universally been applied to large size fresh fruit packing crates.

It is accordingly a broad object of this invention to provide a novel method of lidding a multiple box and a specific object to provide such a method by which all the units in the box will be supplied with a separate, individual, arched cover accommodating an over-pack in said unit.

Each multiple box is handled in the packing of fruit as a unit and is shipped asa unit or after being further assembled into larger compound multiple boxes. A distinct problem isthus presented in the lidding of the individual unit containers. It is of course especially desirable that the lidding of each of said multiple boxes be accomplished as expeditiously as possible.

Accordingly, it is anotherl object of this invention to provide a method of simultaneously lidding the individual packed box. units of amultiple box so that when the multiple box is disassembled each unit will have a separate individual lid.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing objects, as well as further objects and advantages, will be made manifest in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a preferred form of the lid of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a dagrammatical front elevational view of a preferred form of lidding machine suitable for carrying out the lidding operation of the process of this invention.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View of the machine shown in Fig. 2 and illustrating the completion of the cover pressing step of the process of this invention.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a multiple box after this has been lidded in accordance with the method of this invention.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a clasp suitable for use in making said box.

The lid and process of this invention are adapted to be used With various types of multiple boxes. For illustrative purposes, a multiple box I0 is shown in the drawing, which was invented by Walter Hale Paxton. This box is made up of two sections II which are joined together by placing these sections alongside each other and uniting the abutting ends of these as by clasps I2. Each of the box sections II includes ends I3, center partitions I4, these ends and partitions having secured thereto bottom slats I5, inner side slats it and outer side slats I7. Two box units I8 are thus provided in each section I I. 'I'he outer side slats Ii are provided with scorings I9 which are formed along the line on which the units I8 come together. Prior to the assembly of the sections I I, the inner side slats I5 are severed along lines disposed between Vthevunits IS and at some time prior to shipment of the box Ii) the bottom slats It are also severed along the line of meeting of the units I8. Thus, when the sections II are separated by removing the clasps I2 for the purpose of disassembling the box IU, it is possible, by swinging the units I8 relative to each other about the lines of the scorings I9, to fracture the unsevered portions of the slots Il and thus completely separate the units I8.

The problem here faced is to provide an expeditious way of lidding all oi the units I8 of the box I!! after these have been over-packed with fresh fruit, so that the box ID may be thus disassembled, and so that when it is thus disassembled each of the units I8 will be provided with a suitable lid.

This problem has been solved b-y the provision of a unitary lid 20 which is made up preferably of a plurality of straight-grained thin wooden slats 2|, there being four of these slats in the lid 20 so as to render the latter suitable for lidding the box IB. These slats are bound together to produce the unitary lid 20 by nailing or stapling these slats to end cleats 22 and a central cleat 23. The latter cleat is preferably twice as wide as the end cleats 22 and is weakened along its central axis by a saw out 24 which extends vertically entirely through said cleat 23 but stops short of the ends of said cleat. The slats 2I in the lid 2D are preferably entirely severed, as by saw cuts 25, along a transverse middle line of the lid 20 in the same plane of the saw cut 24. The cleats 22 and 23 are also preferably weakened along the longitudinal axis of the lid 20 by scorings 26 and 2l.

The lidding of the box I3 with the lid 20, in carrying out the method of this invention, is performed as follows:

The box I is delivered Vonto a nailing table 33 of a lidding machine 3| just after al1 of the units I8 of the box have been packed with fruit so as to produce an over-filled or crown pack 32 in each of these units. The lidder 3| is provided with a suitable elevator 33 for reciprocating the table 33 vertically and has an overhead frame 34 which carries end nailing devices 35 and middle nailing devices 33. Supported between these nailing devices are crown sheet plates 3l. Provided on the nailing devices 35 are lid supports 38.

Just before beginning the lidding operation of the box I0, one of the lids is placed in the lidding machine 3I with the ends of this lid resting on the supports 38. The elevator 33 is then operated to raise the table 30 and the box IU resting thereon until the ends of the lid 20 are compressed between the ends of the box I0 and the nailing devices 35, and the Vmiddle of the lid is compressed between the partitions I4 of the box I0 and the nailing devices 36, so as to arch the slats 2I of the cover 20 upwardly into contact with the crown sheets 31. The nailing devices 35 and 3S are now operated either by separate mechanism or by continuing the upward movement of the table 33 in a manner well-known in the art, so as to drive nails downwardly through the lid 20 into the ends I3 and partitions I4 Vof the box I0. The table 39 is then lowered and the box lil removed therefrom, this now appearing as shown in Fig. 4.

While the saw cuts preferably completely sever the slats 2I of the lid V2i] along their central transverse axes, the saw cut 24 does not completely sever the central cleat 23 but leaves end portions of this cleat unbroken and these end portions serve, during the handling of the 'lid in the lidding operation, to connect the opposite end portions of the lid. The cleat 23 is so attached to the slats along its opposite side edges that when the box `l U is lidded the downward inclination of the portions of the lid 20 on opposite sides of the central transverse axis thereof tends to split the ends of the cleat 23 along said axis and bends opposite side portions of said cleat in conformity with the adjacent portions o'i the slats 2'I as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Thus, when'the box ID is lidded, the lid 2!) is practically completetwo halves and the central cleat is divided along its axis to provide separate inner end cleats for said lid halves.

The box I0 is now ready for being placed in the car for shipment, or it may be placed bottom-to-bottom with another similar box and bound together therewith by clasps so as to make a single box for shipping purposes. Upon being received at their nal point of distributionthat is, at the retailers-the boxes I0, after being freed from any clasps holding them together in pairs, are disassembled.

The rst step of this disassembly is to remove the clasps I2. The sections I I are now rotated relative to each other about the line of the scorings' 26 and 21, fracturing those portions of the slats 22 and 23 remaining unbroken along this line until the complete separation of the two sections II is eiected. The units I8 of each of these sections are now free to be rotated about the lines of the scorings I9, this rotation fractur-ing those portions of the slats II unbroken along this line, and resulting in the separation of these units being completed. Each of these separate units, when thus disassembled, has an arched lid of its own which constitutes one-fourth of the lid 20.

It is thus seen that this invention provides a novel lid for lidding a multiple box and a method of applying the same by which said lid may be expeditiously applied in a, `manner to simultaneously lid all of the box units for said box whereby, when said box is disassembled into its constituent units at its ultimate point of distribution, each 4of said units is provided with a separate arched lid.

What is claimed is:

l. The method of lidding a multiple box having a multiplicity of individual box units arranged on opposite sides of a given dividing line, each of said units being over-lled with perishable farm produce, which comprises: applying to said box a unitary lid adequate, when divided, to supply individual covers to said box units and weakened along the aforesaid line; pressing end portions of said lid and portions adjacent said line downwardly into contact with said box to arch said lid between said portions upwardly over said farm produce; and fastening to said box the lid portions contacting the same.

2. The method of lidding a multiple box having a plurality of individual box units each having its own opposite end walls and assembled together in such a manner as to permit their being readily disassembled when so desired, said method comprising: applying to said box a unitary lid adequate to cover all Vof said units and weakened along lines corresponding to the lines on which said units are joined to form said multiple box,fsaid weakening causing said lid to fracture cleaning when bent along said lines; pressing portions of said lid into contact with opposite end walls of each of said units; and securing said lid to each of said'unit end walls.

3. The method of lidding a multiple box having a plurality of individual box units each having its own opposite end walls and assembled together in such a manner as to permit their being readily disassembled when so desired, said method comprising: applying to said box a unitary lid adequate to cover all of said units and weakened along .lines corresponding to the lines on which said units are joined to form said multiple box, said weakening causing ksaid lid to fracture cleanly when bent along said lines; pressing portions of said lid into contact with opposite end walls of each of said units; and simultaneously securing said lid to each of said unit end walls.

4. The method of lidding a multiple boX having two rows of individual box units, there being a plurality of said units in each of said rows, the units in said box being assembled together in such a manner as to permit their being readily disassembled when so desired, said method comprising: providing a unitary lid adequate to cover all of said units and weakened along a line corresponding to the line on which said rows are joined to form said multiple box; said lid also being weakened along lines corresponding to the lines on which said units are joined in each of said rows; applying said lid to said box; and securing said lid to end portions of each of said units.

5. A unitary lid adapted for use in lidding a multiple box having two sections, each of which sections contains two individual box units, said lid comprising: slat means; end cleats for con necting said slat means and adapted to extend along the ends of said sections; a central cleat means joining said slat means along a line corresponding to the dividing plane between said units in each of said sections, all of said cleat means being weakened along a line corresponding to the plane of meeting of said sections, said intermediate cleat means being weakened along the line of division between said units while said slat means are completely severed along said last mentioned line.

GERALDINE PAXTON,

H. S. NICKS, Eecutors of the Last Will and Testament of Walter Hale Paxton, Deceased. 

